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Bocková J, Jones NC, Topin J, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. Uncovering the chiral bias of meteoritic isovaline through asymmetric photochemistry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3381. [PMID: 37291172 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39177-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Systematic enrichments of L-amino acids in meteorites is a strong indication that biological homochirality originated beyond Earth. Although still unresolved, stellar UV circularly polarized light (CPL) is the leading hypothesis to have caused the symmetry breaking in space. This involves the differential absorption of left- and right-CPL, a phenomenon called circular dichroism, which enables chiral discrimination. Here we unveil coherent chiroptical spectra of thin films of isovaline enantiomers, the first step towards asymmetric photolysis experiments using a tunable laser set-up. As analogues to amino acids adsorbed on interstellar dust grains, CPL-helicity dependent enantiomeric excesses of up to 2% were generated in isotropic racemic films of isovaline. The low efficiency of chirality transfer from broadband CPL to isovaline could explain why its enantiomeric excess is not detected in the most pristine chondrites. Notwithstanding, small, yet consistent L-biases induced by stellar CPL would have been crucial for its amplification during aqueous alteration of meteorite parent bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bocková
- Institut de Chimie de Nice (ICN), CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jérémie Topin
- Institut de Chimie de Nice (ICN), CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, 06108, Nice, France
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice (ICN), CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, 06108, Nice, France.
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2
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Garcia AD, Topin J, Bocková J, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. Chiroptical activity of gas-phase propylene oxide predicting the handedness of interstellar circular polarization in the presolar nebula. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd4614. [PMID: 36399555 PMCID: PMC9674286 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add4614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Propylene oxide, the first chiral molecule recently detected in the interstellar medium, has once again raised the question whether biomolecular chirality might have cosmic origins. However, accurate chiroptical properties of propylene oxide in the ultraviolet spectral range necessary to suggest possible asymmetric synthetic routes in the gas phase are scarce. Here, we report on the first experimental measurements of the anisotropy spectra of gas-phase propylene oxide in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral range. Our experimental results provide novel insights into the handedness of interstellar circular polarization at the dawn of molecular evolution of our star- and planet-forming region. Besides the fundamental importance of this new investigation for understanding the origin and evolution of homochirality on Earth, our high-resolution experimental electronic circular dichroism data will inspire new efforts in quantum computational spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien D. Garcia
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice 06108, France
| | - Jérémie Topin
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice 06108, France
| | - Jana Bocková
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice 06108, France
| | - Nykola C. Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d’Azur, UMR 7272 CNRS, Nice 06108, France
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3
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Bocková J, Jones NC, Meierhenrich UJ, Hoffmann SV, Meinert C. Chiroptical activity of hydroxycarboxylic acids with implications for the origin of biological homochirality. Commun Chem 2021; 4:86. [PMID: 36697718 PMCID: PMC9814692 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-021-00524-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Circularly polarised light (CPL) interacting with interstellar organic molecules might have imparted chiral bias and hence preluded prebiotic evolution of biomolecular homochirality. The L-enrichment of extra-terrestrial amino acids in meteorites, as opposed to no detectable excess in monocarboxylic acids and amines, has previously been attributed to their intrinsic interaction with stellar CPL revealed by substantial differences in their chiroptical signals. Recent analyses of meteoritic hydroxycarboxylic acids (HCAs) - potential co-building blocks of ancestral proto-peptides - indicated a chiral bias toward the L-enantiomer of lactic acid. Here we report on novel anisotropy spectra of several HCAs using a synchrotron radiation electronic circular dichroism spectrophotometer to support the re-evaluation of chiral biomarkers of extra-terrestrial origin in the context of absolute photochirogenesis. We found that irradiation by CPL which would yield L-excess in amino acids would also yield L-excess in aliphatic chain HCAs, including lactic acid and mandelic acid, in the examined conditions. Only tartaric acid would show "unnatural" D-enrichment, which makes it a suitable target compound for further assessing the relevance of the CPL scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Bocková
- grid.460782.f0000 0004 4910 6551University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Institute de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France
| | - Nykola C. Jones
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Uwe J. Meierhenrich
- grid.460782.f0000 0004 4910 6551University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Institute de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- grid.460782.f0000 0004 4910 6551University Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Institute de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France
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4
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Evans AC, Petit AS, Guillen SG, Neukirch AJ, Hoffmann SV, Jones NC. Chiroptical characterization tools for asymmetric small molecules - experimental and computational approaches for electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and anisotropy spectroscopy. RSC Adv 2021; 11:1635-1643. [PMID: 35424126 PMCID: PMC8693638 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra06832b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchrotron radiation electronic circular dichroism (SRECD) and anisotropy spectroscopy for both enantiomers of a group of small non-planar chiral molecules are reported here. The experimental SRECD spectra are compared to computational ECD spectra generated using time-dependent density functional theory and a thermal averaging over relevant molecular configurations. The combination of these experimental and computational characterization methodologies for such molecules enables the prediction and understanding of the spectral behavior of other small molecules, in addition to chiroptically characterizing members of the mandelic acid family substructure. Enantiomeric purity of samples can be evaluated in comparison with these spectra and the extent of photolytic enantioinduction can also be predicted using these experimental/calculated SRECD and anisotropy spectra. Experimental and computational electronic circular dichroism spectra are used in conjunction with anisotropy spectra to chiroptically characterize mandelic acid and its derivatives into the vacuum UV.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Evans
- Biosciences/Theoretical Divisions, Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, Mailstop E529 Los Alamos NM 87544 USA
| | - Andrew S Petit
- Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton CA 92831 USA
| | - Steven G Guillen
- Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton CA 92831 USA
| | - Amanda J Neukirch
- Biosciences/Theoretical Divisions, Los Alamos National Laboratory P.O. Box 1663, Mailstop E529 Los Alamos NM 87544 USA
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University Ny Munkegade 120 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University Ny Munkegade 120 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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5
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Sugahara H, Meinert C, Nahon L, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Hamase K, Takano Y, Meierhenrich UJ. d-Amino acids in molecular evolution in space - Absolute asymmetric photolysis and synthesis of amino acids by circularly polarized light. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2018; 1866:743-758. [PMID: 29357311 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms on the Earth almost exclusively use l-amino acids for the molecular architecture of proteins. The biological occurrence of d-amino acids is rare, although their functions in various organisms are being gradually understood. A possible explanation for the origin of biomolecular homochirality is the delivery of enantioenriched molecules via extraterrestrial bodies, such as asteroids and comets on early Earth. For the asymmetric formation of amino acids and their precursor molecules in interstellar environments, the interaction with circularly polarized photons is considered to have played a potential role in causing chiral asymmetry. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the investigation of chirality transfer from chiral photons to amino acids involving the two major processes of asymmetric photolysis and asymmetric synthesis. We will discuss analytical data on cometary and meteoritic amino acids and their potential impact delivery to the early Earth. The ongoing and future ambitious space missions, Hayabusa2, OSIRIS-REx, ExoMars 2020, and MMX, are scheduled to provide new insights into the chirality of extraterrestrial organic molecules and their potential relation to the terrestrial homochirality. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: d-Amino acids: biology in the mirror, edited by Dr. Loredano Pollegioni, Dr. Jean-Pierre Mothet and Dr. Molla Gianluca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Sugahara
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Laurent Nahon
- L'Orme des Merisiers, Synchrotron SOLEIL, BP 48 Saint Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nykola C Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Søren V Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Kenji Hamase
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Takano
- Department of Biogeochemistry, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Uwe J Meierhenrich
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, UMR 7272, 06108 Nice, France.
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6
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Meinert C, Jones NC, Hoffmann SV, Meierhenrich UJ. Anisotropy spectroscopy of chiral alcohols, amines, and monocarboxylic acids: Implications for the analyses of extraterrestrial samples. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2015.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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7
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Myrgorodska I, Meinert C, Hoffmann SV, Jones NC, Nahon L, Meierhenrich UJ. Light on Chirality: Absolute Asymmetric Formation of Chiral Molecules Relevant in Prebiotic Evolution. Chempluschem 2016; 82:74-87. [DOI: 10.1002/cplu.201600214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Myrgorodska
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, UMR CNRS 7272; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences; Parc Valrose 06108 Nice France
- Synchrotron SOLEIL; L'Orme des Merisiers; BP 48 Saint Aubin 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette France
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, UMR CNRS 7272; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences; Parc Valrose 06108 Nice France
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy; Aarhus University; 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Nykola C. Jones
- ISA, Department of Physics and Astronomy; Aarhus University; 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Laurent Nahon
- Synchrotron SOLEIL; L'Orme des Merisiers; BP 48 Saint Aubin 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette France
| | - Uwe J. Meierhenrich
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, UMR CNRS 7272; Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences; Parc Valrose 06108 Nice France
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Schurig V. On the Centenary of Emanuel Gil-Av, Former Professor of the Weizmann Institute of Science and Pioneer of Enantioselective Chromatography. Isr J Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201600015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Volker Schurig
- University Tübingen; Institute of Organic Chemistry; Auf der Morgenstelle 18 72076 Tübingen (Germany)
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9
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Zsila F. The anticancer agent ellipticine binds to glycosaminoglycans at mildly acidic pH characteristic of the extracellular matrix of tumor tissues. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra23437a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This communication demonstrates the pH dependent glycosaminoglycan binding of the anticancer plant alkaloid ellipticine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferenc Zsila
- Biomolecular Self-Assembly Group
- Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Budapest
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10
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Meinert C, Cassam-Chenaï P, Jones NC, Nahon L, Hoffmann SV, Meierhenrich UJ. Anisotropy-Guided Enantiomeric Enhancement in Alanine Using Far-UV Circularly Polarized Light. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2015; 45:149-61. [PMID: 25773582 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9413-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
All life on Earth is characterized by its asymmetry - both the genetic material and proteins are composed of homochiral monomers. Understanding how this molecular asymmetry initially arose is a key question related to the origins of life. Cometary ice simulations, L-enantiomeric enriched amino acids in meteorites and the detection of circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation in star-forming regions point to a possible interstellar/protostellar generation of stereochemical asymmetry. Based upon our recently recorded anisotropy spectra g(λ) of amino acids in the vacuum-UV range, we subjected amorphous films of racemic (13)C-alanine to far-UV circularly polarized synchrotron radiation to probe the asymmetric photon-molecule interaction under interstellar conditions. Optical purities of up to 4% were reached, which correlate with our theoretical predictions. Importantly, we show that chiral symmetry breaking using circularly polarized light is dependent on both the helicity and the wavelength of incident light. In order to predict such stereocontrol, time-dependent density functional theory was used to calculate anisotropy spectra. The calculated anisotropy spectra show good agreement with the experimental ones. The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, which successfully landed Philae on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 12 November 2014, will investigate the configuration of chiral compounds and thereby obtain data that are to be interpreted in the context of the results presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, CNRS UMR 7272, Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, 06108, Nice, France,
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11
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Myrgorodska I, Meinert C, Martins Z, Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt L, Meierhenrich UJ. Molekülchiralität in Meteoriten und interstellarem Eis und das Chiralitätsexperiment an Bord der Kometenmission Rosetta der ESA. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201409354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Myrgorodska I, Meinert C, Martins Z, Le Sergeant d'Hendecourt L, Meierhenrich UJ. Molecular chirality in meteorites and interstellar ices, and the chirality experiment on board the ESA cometary Rosetta mission. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 54:1402-12. [PMID: 25431250 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Life, as it is known to us, uses exclusively L-amino acid and D-sugar enantiomers for the molecular architecture of proteins and nucleic acids. This Minireview explores current models of the original symmetry-breaking influence that led to the exogenic delivery to Earth of prebiotic molecules with a slight enantiomeric excess. We provide a short overview of enantiomeric enhancements detected in bodies of extraterrestrial origin, such as meteorites, and interstellar ices simulated in the laboratory. Data are interpreted from different points of view, namely, photochirogenesis, parity violation in the weak nuclear interaction, and enantioenrichment through phase transitions. Photochemically induced enantiomeric imbalances are discussed more specifically in the topical context of the "chirality module" on board the cometary Rosetta spacecraft of the ESA. This device will perform the first enantioselective in situ analyses of samples taken from a cometary nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Myrgorodska
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN, UMR CNRS 7272, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice (France) http://www.unice.fr/meierhenrich/
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13
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Xu Y, Yang G, Xia H, Zou G, Zhang Q, Gao J. Enantioselective synthesis of helical polydiacetylene by application of linearly polarized light and magnetic field. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5050. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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14
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Bredehöft JH, Jones NC, Meinert C, Evans AC, Hoffmann SV, Meierhenrich UJ. Understanding Photochirogenesis: Solvent Effects on Circular Dichroism and Anisotropy Spectroscopy. Chirality 2014; 26:373-8. [DOI: 10.1002/chir.22329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nykola C. Jones
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Aarhus University; Aarhus Denmark
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN; Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis; Nice France
| | - Amanda C. Evans
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN; Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis; Nice France
- University of Cambridge; Murray Edwards College; Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Søren V. Hoffmann
- ISA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Aarhus University; Aarhus Denmark
| | - Uwe J. Meierhenrich
- Institut de Chimie de Nice ICN; Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis; Nice France
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